118 MPGe: Honda Fit EV earns highest EPA fuel efficiency rating ever

Scott Sterling

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Automaker Honda has announced that the 2013 Honda Fit EV subcompact has earned a 118 MPGe rating (a combined adjusted miles-per-gallon equivalency) from the Environmental Protection agency, making it the most fuel-efficient vehicle soon to be available. The Fit also gets an estimated 82 miles on a single charge for city and highway driving combined.

The Fit bested the electric Ford Focus, which received a rating of 105 MPGe and 76 miles per charge, and the Nissan Leaf, which came in at 99 MPGe and 73 miles per charge.

As reported by CNET, breaking down exactly how the EPA came up with these combined adjusted equivalency ratings is somewhat tricky, but the proof is in the wallet:

"MPG equivalent is a bit of an odd number, a fuel economy equivalent calculation between gasoline and electricity. Because of the very different nature of filling a gas tank versus charging a battery, car owners may not immediately grasp the difference. When it comes to running costs, however, owners will see a huge delta, not only due to the better efficiency of the electric cars but also due to electricity rates that are typically lower than equivalent per gallon gas prices. The EPA's annual fuel cost for the Fit EV is just $500."

The Fit EV will rolled out in California and Oregon before becoming available “in some eastern U.S. cities” in 2013.

Previously in Pacific Swell

KPCC's Molly Peterson on a Gilligan's Island style tour of environmental stories in and affecting Southern California. Named for the Yvor Winters poem: "The slow Pacific swell stirs on the sand/Sleeping to sink away, withdrawing land..."
Follow the blog at @PacificSwell and Molly at @KPCCmolly.